


A Single Tradition

by LadyKenz347



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A big o Christmas Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:08:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27700486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKenz347/pseuds/LadyKenz347
Summary: Teddy Lupin has exactly one Christmas tradition.
Relationships: Teddy Lupin/Victoire Weasley
Comments: 15
Kudos: 59
Collections: The Marauders Advent 2020





	A Single Tradition

Snow fell in fat flakes over Hogsmeade, collecting on every trellis and awning lining the small alley. Twinkling lights blinked overhead, and the evergreen trees were decorated with brightly-coloured baubles of various sizes. 

It was Christmas. 

A perfectly fine holiday, if one were asking Teddy. He had no qualms about it and quite enjoyed a nice holiday feast along with the rest of them. 

Victoire, however, was practically bouncing. Each of her steps seemed to exist only on her toes as she nearly skipped down the snow covered lane. 

Teddy smiled at her as she nearly pressed her face against the shop windows, her breath ghosting over the glass as she rattled off the list of things she still needed to purchase before heading home the following day. 

In all of his years at Hogwarts, he’d deftly avoided the attention of witches, far more interested in Quidditch and the sweet grass grown in the Hufflepuff common room. Up until recently, he and Peeves’d had the run of the castle. In November, they’d managed to slip hair dye potion into the Slytherin’s pumpkin juice, who’d spent the duration of the Quidditch game against Hufflepuff with bright yellow hair. 

At Halloween, they’d jinxed the pumpkins to chase the Ravenclaws down the corridors, their carved faces pulled into twisted versions of themselves. 

The Gryffindors got the worst of the lot, but that was only because they’d made it so bloody easy. He’d laced their pudding with a cheap love potion last year around Valentine’s Day, and he and his spectral co-conspirator watched in glee as the lot of them became besotted fools, throwing themselves at the feet of people they’d previously not looked twice at. Then he’d stuck Whizbangers to the underside of their benches in the Great Hall and fell off his seat when they exploded and the entire house screamed and ran amok. 

But the coup de grâce was earlier this year when he and Peeves had successfully stolen the Fat Lady’s portrait clean off the wall and hidden it for upwards of a week. In punishment, Teddy had been given a month of detention, but, all in all, he’d found it to be more than worth it. 

Afterall, a legacy was an important thing to uphold. Teddy was more than aware of his lineage as son of a werewolf and metamorphmagus, but what he took pride in most was his inheritance as a Marauder. Only two people could truly claim it as a birthright, and since he’d been young, Harry had treated it like a secret club between them. 

So, no. He hadn’t had much time for witches. However, witches had a proclivity for the young Lupin. But each and every one he’d managed to turn away gently. That was, until Victoire Weasley turned fifteen and his entire world upended. 

Up until that fated day, she’d merely been another Weasley— albeit one with blonde hair rather than the signature red. But on her birthday, the day she’d walked into the Great Hall, his heart stopped. His life shifted, and he no longer was interested in the Marauder legacy he’d held so dear for the first six years of Hogwarts. His life had new purpose. 

Peeves had been rather put out, sometimes even turning his mischievous energy onto Teddy, but for the first time, Teddy was the besotted fool, and there was no helping him. 

Which is how, despite not being the most excitable person when it came to Christmas, Teddy found himself following his girlfriend through Hogsmeade as she purchased a variety of gifts for her family. 

In the frosted window of Zonko’s, a small toy train chugged along a circular track, and upon sight of it, Victoire crossed her arms and huffed. 

“I can’t believe you won’t be riding home on the train. I’ll miss you.” 

Teddy hid his hands in pockets, his lips folding into a tight, placating smile. “I’ll be at the Burrow for Christmas dinner, and we’ll see each other after. I’ll come over everyday.” 

At that, a slow smile unfurled on her lips, and she bounced over to him, curling her slender arm around his middle. “Promise?”

Cradling the sides of her face, Teddy leaned down and pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “Promise.” 

“Let’s go to the Three Broomsticks. I could use a warm butterbeer.” 

Teddy’s gaze drifted to the Honeydukes sign, and his heart twisted. “You go on ahead; I need to get something.” 

Her pale eyes lit with excitement. “A Christmas present for me?” 

Playfully rolling his eyes, he swatted her gently on the bum and jerked his chin towards the entrance to the pub. “I’ll see you there, okay?”

After pressing her cold lips to his in a fleeting kiss, she rushed towards the promise of warmth and butterbeer. 

With a painfully long breath, Teddy gathered his wits and made his way down the cobbled stone to Honeydukes. The light tinkling of a bell overhead announced his arrival, and the short, round shopkeeper appeared a moment later. 

“Mister Lupin, how good to see you again! I’ve some new peppermint chocolates if you’d like to try them for your holiday. A bit of a kick to them, though.” A basket on the counter rattled and shook, and the clerk quickly threw her hands on the top of it to keep it from jostling about. “Literally.” 

Teddy shook his head and smiled kindly at the elderly witch. “Just the normal Christmas haul for me, Mrs. Flume. Thank you.” 

“Are you alright, dear? You seem a bit down.” 

Rocking back on his heels, Teddy poked at a display of lollies and sugar quills in the shape of an elaborate Christmas tree. “Just fine, ma’am. Holidays are just...” 

Few people knew about Teddy’s holiday traditions, and Mr. and Mrs. Flume comprised almost half of them. Not even Victoire knew, and he suspected he’d keep it as such for a while yet. 

“Oh, you sweet boy.” Pity covered her features, a look Teddy preferred not be directed at him. “I’m going to throw in some Droobles and a Chocolate Frog, too. Just for you.” 

A crooked smile twisted his features as the sweet witch collected his items and then tied it with a crimson bow. “Thank you, Mrs. Flume. And Happy Christmas.” 

“Happy Christmas, Teddy. Tell your parents I say hello!” 

The sides of his throat pressed in, and he found words to be impossible. Instead, he nodded and quickly ducked out of the shop. Once outside, he removed his wand and tapped on the package, shrinking it so he could easily stow it in his cloak. 

Now that his only Christmas errand was complete, he forced a bright, mischievous smile on his face and strode easily towards the Three Broomsticks. 

xXx

The castle was quiet. All the students had left for home, and the portraits, bored without anyone to watch, were either snoozing or had vacated for other frames. 

Clad in an old, moth-eaten red jumper and carrying a parcel of sweets tucked under his arm, Teddy made his way to the third floor corridor, just outside the trophy room. 

He came as often as his heart allowed, though sometimes it was too painful. And nothing was quite so humiliating as a sobbing Hufflepuff in the corridors. 

But on Christmas, he allowed himself this one single family tradition. 

There, next to a large trophy case, was a gilded golden frame, inside of which was a young couple: a witch with bubblegum pink hair and a smirk and a wizard with scars down his face dressed in a familiar, moth-eaten red jumper.

“Mum, Dad,” he said, sitting on the floor cross legged with his gift between his knees. “Happy Christmas.” 

Remus wrapped an arm around his wife’s shoulders, and they both grinned happily down at him. 

“Happy Christmas, Darling,” his mother said. “You really ought to purchase a new jumper, though.” 

Teddy looked down at one of the only hand-me-downs he had and shook his head. “I have new jumpers; I like this one.” 

“You look like your father,” she added, her painted eyes turning misty. 

Remus chuckled. “Now that’s an insult if I ever heard one.”

Rolling his eyes, Teddy unpacked the gift on the floor, pulling out a box of expensive chocolates and a handful of pink bubblegum. As a boy, he had gobbled up all the information he could about his parents before the war, but many details had been forgotten, secrets lost and taken beyond the Veil with their keepers. 

But of the few things he knew, most important was that his father loved chocolates when he was feeling down and his mother was always happy when her hair was pink. 

Teddy picked up a piece of gum and unwrapped it gently, shaking his head until his hair turned a matching shade of magenta, and then popped it between his lips, a grin following soon after. 

“I want to tell you about this girl that’s gotten me to change my ways.” 

His father beamed down at his wife before pressing a kiss to her pink hair. “It’s always a girl that does.” 

  
  


**A/N: Happy Hols, friends and fam! A big thank you to Ravenslight for beta’ing this little ol’ thang for me. Also a shout out to the wonderful Frumpologist for hosting this advent! I had a lot of fun with it and while it didn’t turn out into the deplorable Tedimione I had planned, I enjoyed writing this one!** **  
** **  
** **My assigned Marauder was** **Teddy Lupin** **and my prompt was** **Hogsmeade Shopping.** **  
****  
** **Hoping for a lovely holiday season for my fandom family. Stay well!**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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